


Kittens

by Corpyburd



Category: Ripper Street
Genre: Cats, Fanfiction, Fire, Gen, Hero Worship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-21
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2019-01-03 17:32:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12151464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corpyburd/pseuds/Corpyburd
Summary: Where is Bennet Drake?





	Kittens

"Back you pigs or I'll slit 'er throat" spat Brent, his silver blade glinting as he held it to the girl's neck.  
  
Standing in the doorway of the old warehouse the terrified child clung to her kitten while in a vice like arm grip of her captor. The officers of H Divsion had now circled the empty building.  
  
"DROP THE KNIFE" bellowed Edmund Reid pointing at Brent. "And let the child go, NOW!"  
  
Seeing the young girl with red hair filled Reid with remorse for his own daughter.  
  
"And what REID? You’ll let me go? Escape? You'll see me hang first for what I did to Cyrus Pike, wont you? Had it coming to 'im 'e did, thieving bastard."  
  
"Can't get a clear shot at him Reid." rasped Jackson out the side of his mouth from behind the Inspector.  
  
Jackson turned round. He was aware that the mob behind them was becoming riotous, screaming for Brent's blood.  
  
"Where's Drake when you need him!" Reid muttered bitterly. "HE should be HERE!"  
  
Brent kicked the doors of the warehouse open and dragged the terrified girl with him. Slamming them shut he managed to throw the large bolt shut just as the men surged forward trying to force the door in.  
  
Bennet Drake was whistling as he headed back to Leman Street and was suddenly stopped in his tracks. The street he had turned into was seething with an unruly crowd and was being pushed back by own his officers.  
  
"What the hell is going on?" he exclaimed as he grabbed officer Dodds by the arm.  
  
"That scumbag Brent has taken young Katie Flanagan hostage. Threatening to cut her throat at the front doors of the warehouse."  
  
But as Brent had thrown the door bolt, Katie's kitten sank it's claws and teeth into his hand and Katie lashed out, kicking him between the legs.  
  
He groaned, doubled over as Katie grabbed her kitten and ran for her life. "Little BITCH!" he cursed.  
  
"Can we get through the windows?" bayed Reid to his officers. "The windows have wire behind the glass Inspector." One shouted back.  
  
Jackson looked at Reid and shook his head. They would have to force the doors.  
  
Shouting over the crowds noise and pointing to 4 of his men, "Get a beam ...... or railway sleeper. We'll break it down."  
  
Katie ran until she came to a steep set of wooden stairs at the back of the ground floor, looked around and began to creep silently up them, holding her kitten. It was dark but her eyes were beginning to adjust to the dimness then she noticed a storm lamp on the post at the top of the stairs.  
  
"Is there a back way into this building? Shouted Drake.  
  
"There's a loading pulley at the back on the first floor" came a reply from the warehouse Foreman who stepped forward. "The upper door isn't shut and if you get a set of ladders we should be able to grab the rope and pulley down."  
  
With ladders in place against the wall, the Foreman managed to grasp the coiled rope from behind the door with a bill hook so that the block and tackle could be sent to the ground.  
  
"Pull me up to the door." urged Drake "but as quietly as possible lads. This situation needs tact."  
  
The officers and Foreman hauled Sergeant Drake up to the door. With one swing on the rope - he was in!  
  
Brent could hear the officers hammering at the door. Moaning, he straightend himself up and found an oak plank lying against the wall then slid it into the hooks at each side, further barracading the heavy doors.  
  
He began frantically to search for his escaped hostage.  
  
Katie reached the top of the stairs and reached up for the lamp. As she did this the kitten wriggled free which made her suddenly drop the lamp. She squealed as it hit the floor and rolled - straight off the first floor and she heard it smash below.  
  
The lit lamp devoured the spilled oil in a flash. Fire licked the bottom of a wooden post, crackling, playful, then the fire flickered, flared, leapt, spat. Scorching flame soon began to burn the wooden floor were the oil had spattered.  
  
Brent began to pound up the narrow stairs like and angry bull, effing and blinding.  
  
Showers of sparks, like a fountain, came from the sacks and goods stacked in the warehouse then plumes of black grey smoke, wound themselves around the rest of the posts. Within a minute the fire became so ferocious that it had spread along the whole bottom floor.  
  
One of Reid's officers shouted "FIRE!" as smoke began to leak from the door and windows. The crowd began to scream.  
  
"CALL THE FIRE FIGHTERS!" Yelled Reid.  
  
Katie frantically searched for her kitten on the first floor, trying hide from Brent and the ensuing fire below. Suddenly the kitten ran past her and she sped after it. It disappeared behind some boxes as she felt someone grab her foot.  
  
"Gotcha" mocked Brent as Katie fell face down on dusty wooden floor.  
  
He moved forward to drag her back when .....THUNK! ..... he was hit square in the face by a flour shovel. It knocked him clean of his feet onto his back and he was out cold.  
  
Drake dropped the shovel and pulled Katie onto her feet. "You alright Katie?" he asked softly.  
  
She was still in shock but nodded.  
  
"Let's get out of here" and lifted her onto his back."Hold on tight."  
  
He realised that the were near the first floor door so dragged Brent by the left leg towards it, tied the rope round his waist and kicked him out.  
  
As he did this, he grabbed the block and hook, put his right foot in it and jumped.  
  
The weight of Brent counterbalanced them both and they sailed effortlessly to the ground. The other officers retrieved Brent who was now coming to.  
  
"Lads, lets get out of here before this whole building goes up."  
  
Plumes of fire exploded into the street through the warehouse windows, shattering the glass, the smoke rolling outwards in billowing clouds.  
  
Horses snorted, stamped and screamed, trying to pull away from the building.  
  
The idea of the firefighters rushing in now was ridiculous, it was an inferno fuelled by the gallons of flour, dry timber and sacking in the warehouse. The heat was becoming oppressive.  
  
The onlookers had been excited at first behaving like a crowd on bonfire night. But then a subtle shift in the wind direction brought noxious smoke and ash raining down into their hair and eyes.  
  
Reid caught the sight of Bennet carrying the little girl and shouted orders to his men to push everyone away from the building.  
  
Drake's officers dragged Brent passed Inspector Reid in irons. Reid stood opened mouthed in amazement.  
  
Jackson shook his head and hooted in laughter at Reid's face.  
  
"BEN, BEN!" came a familiar voice as Bennet placed the girl back on her feet. He turned round as Artherton appeared through the crowd with a woman in tow.  
  
"KATIE" she cried running forward. "Are you alright my little kitten? You had us all worried sick."  
  
She stepped forward and placed her hand on Bennet’s arm. "How can I ever repay you Sir. You are our hero Sergeant Drake." Bennet was not used to such high praise and felt slightly embarrassed, especially as the rest of H Division looked on.  
  
Then Katie began to sob. "Mam, I've lost Sooty. Sooty's gone" Tears were flooding down from her eyes. "She ran away in the fire."  
  
Katie's mother lifted her and wrapped her arms around her distraught daughter so the little girls head rested on her shoulder.  
  
"Katie" began Bennet "Aren't we forgetting something?"  
  
The little girl looked at Bennet in puzzlement through her tear streaked face.  
  
"Aren't you forgetting that kittens have 9 lives just like cats?"  
  
He then opened his jacket to reveal his inside pocket. Snuggling there, watching them, was a small black ball of fluff with 2 mischievous golden eyes.  
  
"Do you think I would forget Sooty?"


End file.
